With 73 votes in favor, 25 against, and two abstentions, the Peruvian Congress once again approved a resolution authorizing members of the US Department of Defense to carry out support, assistance, and training activities with the Peruvian Armed Forces and Police, from January 1 to December 31, 2026, within the framework of purported “cooperation activities.”
The interventionist resolution details that U.S. military personnel will be allowed to remain in Peruvian territory carrying weapons of war, and will be rotated every three to six months among various locations such as Lima, Junín, Cusco, Ayacucho, and Apurímac.
Among the Peruvian institutions involved are the Joint Intelligence and Operations Command (CIOEC), the Joint Special Forces (FEC), the Navy’s Special Operations Forces (FOES), the Air Force’s Special Forces Group (GRUFE), and various Army brigades and specialized police units.
In November 2024, the Peruvian government had already authorized the entry of foreign personnel. During the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC 2024), 600 U.S. military personnel entered the country to provide administrative, logistical, and security support. That operation was concentrated in Lima, Pisco, and Chiclayo for a period of 21 days.
Additionally, in May 2023, authorities also allowed the entry of U.S. personnel between June 1 and December 31 of that year, for similar purposes.
The U.S. contingent will deploy a variety of weaponry, including 14 M4 rifles, 14 Glock or M17 pistols, two M249 and two M240 machine guns, two M320 grenade launchers, as well as two mortars, and various sniper rifles and shotguns.
The president of the National Defense Commission of Congress, Karol Paredes, dismissed the notion that this constitutes a violation of Peruvian sovereignty and denied that there is an attempt to establish a foreign military base.
IMAGE CREDIT: Peruvian Congress approved entry of US military personnel into the country. Photo> EFE
[ SOURCE: teleSUR ]
